Fuel-injector.



H LEMP FUEL INJECTOR.

APrLxcATlou min Aurina. 1913.

Patented Oct. 19, 1915.`

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"on a l: M% 0 5 6 l Inventor-z Her-mann Lem Hsdqttor-neg.

UNITED STATES PATENT oEEI'cE.

\HEBMANN LEMP, OF ERIE, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOB TO GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPA'NY, A CORPORATION 0F NEW YORK.

FUEL-INJ'IEICTOB..`

Specification of Letters Patent,

Patented oet. 1e, 1915.

Application led August 5, 1913. Serial N o. 783,143.

citizen of the United States, residingr atV Erie, county of Erie, State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful lm-' provements in Fuel-Injectors, of which the following is a specification. i

The present invention relates to so-called injectors, atomizers or pulverizersfor introducing fuel, such as crude oil, into the conibustionchambers of internal combustion engines and especially to thoseoperating on the high compression cycle. In such latter engines air is compressedin the working cylinder to a temperature above the igniting temperature of the fuel, the latter being` injected against the compression pressure by what is commonly known as the air blast. The compression pressure may, as an example, be 450 to 600 lbs. per square inch, and the air blast pressure from 750 to y1,200 lbs. per square inch. Owing to these high pressures the problem of introducing fuel becomes a very difficult one as well as `a most important one for the efliciency of these engines is determined chiefly by the action of said injectors.

The principal duty of an injector is to finely divide the fuel and inject the same into the combustion chamber of the engine. Another and also very important duty of the injector is to discharge at each opening of its needle or fuel valve all, or substantially all, of the fuel which it received from the `fuel pump during theA closed period of the ivalve. If all of the fuel is not discharged at each opening of the needle valve 'the amount remaining should be so small as not to cause an abnormal fuel charge to be delivered on the succeeding opening of said valve. My experience is that the more completely the fuel charge is delivered at each opening of theneedle valve the better will be the action of the engine and also the regulation. As engines, especially those driving electric generators, sometimes have to pass almost instantly from full load to no load operating conditions and vice versa,

. the importance of accurately regulating the amount of fuel admitted to the engine on each Working stroke and of finely dividing it whether the amount be large or small cannot be over estimated.

'Iheobject of my invention is to provide a fuel injector, atomizer or pulverizer which will fulfil the exacting requirements hereinbefore speclfied, and this in a device which 1s simple in construction, reliable in operation, and capable of being quickly and easily cleaned.

Another and important object of my invention is to provide an injector which can b eused either in a horizontal or vertical position.

Afurther important feature 'of my invention is to so arrange the parts that in addltion to minutely dividing the fuel, it is sprayed into the combustion chamber in such a manner as to cause as complete combustion as possible.

' For a consideration of what I believe to be novel and my invention, attention is directed to the accompanying description and claims appended thereto. i

In the drawings which illustrate one of ,the embodiments of my invention, Figure 1 1s a small view showing my improved injector applied to an internal combustion engine; Flg. 2 is a somewhat enlarged longitudinal section of the injector showing the needle-valve closed; Fig. 3 -is a partial view of thesame with the needle valve open, the condltlon existing when the fuel is being introduced into the combustion chamber of the engine; Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the fuel and air mixer; Fig. 5 is a cross-sec tion taken on line 5-5 of Fi 2; 6 is a sectional view vof the seat; ig. 7 is a sectional view of the guide; and Fig. 8 isa sectional view of the mixer.

6 indicates the cylinder of an internal combustion engine operating on the high compression plan. As shown it is provided with two oppositely moving pistons 7 and 8 which are suitably connected to the main shaft by rods. The cylinder may be horizontal or vertical or at an inclination to the horizontal as desired. It may have two pistons as shown or only a single piston as is common with many engines. Situated in such position that it will properly discharge in the direction to open the valve at the no proper `ime by the cam 14. The cam is mounted on a shaft l5 and the latter is driven in any suitable manner from the main shaft. As shown the engine is of the two cycle type but it can just as Well operate on any other cycle by properly timing the opening and closing of the fuel valve and suitably arranging the cylinder ports.

Referring to Fig. 2, l0 indicates the casing or body of the injector which is provided with a conical end 1G to permit of its being seated pressure tight in the cylinder Wall, liner or cylinder head as the case may be. It is also provided with two bosses 17 and 18 which are threaded to receive the pipes 19 and 20, the former conveying compressed air and the latter fuel under pressure from a suitable source of supply, such as a pump for example. The interior of the casing is bored out to form an outlet 2l for fuel and air in a finely divided state, and also to form a recess to receive the flame plate 22. This plate may have one, two or more holes 23 through which the mixture passes. It is preferable to use two or more holes and to incline them at an angle so that the mixture will tend to spread out like a fan or cone. The flame plate may be mounted directly in the casing or it may be mounted in a holder 22 which is threaded into the casing as shown. The casing is also provided with a conical valve seat 24 to receive the tapered end of the valve.

The casing contains an enlarged central bore and located therein `is a mixer 25, Fig. 4f, comprising a tubular cylindrical body surrounding the needle valve and having a plurality of parallel and longitudinally extending peripheral fuel-receiving grooves or passages 26 `and also end grooves or passages 27 that register With and form inclined continuations of the peripheral passages or grooves 26. Thegrooves 27 are all directed toward a common point located in the axis of the needle valve so that as the blast air rushes forward through said grooves into the combustion chamber it will carry fuel with it. The grooves 26 and 27 are relatively small in cross-section and are quite numerous so that a relatively large number of small fuel bodies or slugs will be held therein. On the other hand the cross-section `should be great enough so as not to ofl'er any substantial resistance to the passage of fuel and air.v They should also be made large enough so that they may be easily machined. and also large enough so that they may be readily cleaned in case they become clogged for any reason. rl`he size Will also depend somewhat upon the viscosity of the fuel, it being somewhat greater for heavy fuels than for light. It is also `highly desirable to make a relatively large number of peripheral grooves or passages 26 so that the fuel for each charge, Whether it be large or small, is divided into a number of small bod* ies as distinguished from a single and relatively large body. This assists in the final minute subdivision of the fuel charge which is so important in a device of this kind. Furthermore by sub-dividing each charge and having a column of air or other elastic fluid act on each part of the total measured charge, said charge as a whole will with certainty be driven out when the valve opens. By the symmetrical arrangement of the grooves 26 and 27 about the axis of the valve as shown they Will each contain suhstantially the same amount' of fuel, which amount is only a fraction of the Whole charge. Thus it will be seen that the subdivision of the fuel is begun at a time prior to the action of the air thereon. I have shown the passages 26 and 27 both made in the form of slots or grooves because this is the easiest and most accurate way to make them, but in so far as the principle of operation of my invention is concerned they might be made in a different manner. I have referred to the passages or grooves Ztl and i2? separately for the sake of convenience of description, but in effect each pair of grooves 26 and 27 forms a continuous passage, one end of which is bent at an angle to convey fuel into the Venturi throat. These passages are also made straight and parallel to each other but they need not necessarily be so arranged. The cross-sectional area of each passage should be suf'- ficiently great to permit the blast air to easily drive the fuel before it, but on the other hand it should not be too deep or too large in cross-section since this will give rise to irregularities when the engine is running at light loads due to the fact that the blast air will notI necessarily clean out all the fuel in the passage. To state the matter in another Way the best results will be obtained if each passage is of such size that even at light loads it will be completely filled for a portion of its length. For greater loads the cross-section of each fuel body will of course remain the same but its length will be greater, said increase being determined by the amount delivered by the fuel lnpfront of the mixer is a seat of the form best shown in Fig. 6. It comprises an annular member 29 Which is provided with a lip 2) at its forward end that engages a shoulder on the casing. Between the end of the seat and the shoulder on the casing is a packing 30 of any suitable form. The seat is provided with a portion 31 containing a counter-bore 32 whose diameter' is such as to permit one end of the mixer 25 to fit snugly therein. It is also provided with a tapered wall 33 upon which the projections between the end grooves 27 of the mixer est. Thus it Will be seen that the tapered wall 33 forms the outer wall of the inclined grooves 27 and the wall of bore 32 the outer Wall of the left-hand ends of the peripheral grooves 26.` In addition to this the seat is provided with a diverging bore 34 forming one part of a Venturi device, the purpose of which is toobtain a drop in pressure. As is well understood a Venturi device, or

`tube as they are commonly called, comprises a converging portion, a throat, and a diverging portion. In such a device, as the cross-sectional area decreases the velocity increases accompanied by a drop in pressure which reaches its maximum at the throat. From the throat as the cross-sectional area increases the velocity decreases and the pressure increases to substantially its original value. I make use of this peculiarity of a Venturi device to obtan a drop in pressure, and so position the parts that the throat or region 35 of lowest pressure and highest velocity registers as closely as possible Without undue mechanical complication With the discharge ends of the inclined grooves 27. The converging part of the Venturi device is formed in the mixer 25. From Fi s. 2 and 3 it will be seen that the bore o the mixer, Which is somewhat larger than the stem of the valve, gradually' decreases in cross-sectional area. from the inlet end to the end which engages the seat so that the region of greatest restriction, or throat, registers With the inclined ends of the'grooves 27. The amount of the convergence and divergence of the Venturi device with respect to the throat will naturally vary somewhat with the air blast and compression pressures but in general it may be stated that the drop in pressure at the throat should be great enough to cause the superior air pressure in the grooves 26 existing when the valve is opened to drive out the fuel contained therein into and through the grooves 27. The cylindrical end 36 of the seat also forms one Wall of la capillary passage or conduit means 3'? which, While it permits fuel to be forced through it by a pump or equivalent means under high or relatively high pressure, prevents the free How of fuel therethrough. In other Words, this capillary conduit 1s interposed between a supply chamber 38 of suitable sizeA Where more or less fuel may collect and the fuel grooves 26 in the mixer and from which the fuel is substantially cleaned out each time the needle valve is opened and :high pressure air rushes therethrough. The other wall 39 of the capillary the grooves in the mixer engages the seat 28 on the one side" and the guide member 4() on the other. In so far as the principle of operation of my invention is concerned it makes no difference Whether one or a num- 'ber of capillary conduits are formed between the seat and mixer, but from the point of view of the construction it is much better to use a single conduit as shown because it is much simpler to make 'and is easier to clean. Also the seat need not be made separate from the casing, but it is much better from a manufacturing point of view to make it so, as the machining of the divergin end of the Venturi device and of the va ve seat 24 is simplified thereby. By forming the Walls of this annular capillary conduit on separate parts and making shoulders on the seat and guide which engage the mixer, I am able in the first place to make `the passage of the exact desired size Without Vcult operation and one requiring more than usual care and skill. Furthermore by forming it between individual pieces the conduit can be readily cleaned by separating the parts.

By the term capillary passage is meant one Whose Walls are so close together at some point, giving due consideration to the viscosity of the fuel, that they serve to prevent the fuel from fiowing by gravity from the source of supply to the passages or grooves in the mixer. In other words, the restriction is such that fuel can only be forced through it by the utilization of considerable pressure. Looking at the matter in another Way, the function of the capillary passage or conduit is to restrict the amount of fuel delivered to the passages to that which is displaced from the supply chamber by the pump on each working stroke. The resistive action of the capillary conduit is assisted in a measure by the air pressure Within the injector acting between the time of closing of the fuel valve and the Working stroke of the fuel pump.

The member 40 comprises an annular portion having a cylindrical central bore, the Wall of which acts as a guide for the valve stem and holds it in proper alinement. One end is threaded as at 40 to receive a Withdrawing tool. It is also provided with air passages 4:1 which, in the present illustration, take the form of longitudinal holes, of which six are shown, that are open at both ends. At the right these passages communicate with a chamber 42 that receives compressed air from the pipe 19. At the` left the passages open inV the peripheral grooves 26 and also into the beveled or cutaway end of the converging portion of the Venturi device, the direction of flow of the air being indicated by arrows. The member also surrounds the mixer at one end and forms the outer wall of the peripheral grooves 26 thereof. Viewed from one point the mixer is in telescopic relation with the seat and member, each part serving to partially cover it. By making the mixer slightly longer than the distance between the inclined wall 33 of the seat and the shoulder 43L1 of the member 40 the capillary conduit 37 is formed without extra machine operation and its width can be determined with great exactness.

The left-hand end of the guide member 40 is cut away to form the fuel supply chamber 38, the outer wall ofwhich is formed by the inner wall of the main casing. As a result of this I avoid having to maire an internal chamber in the casing which is a rather diiicult thing to make satisfactorily, although my invention is not limited thereto unless so specified in the claims. The guide is held in place by a follower 44 which is screw-threaded into the casing. Beyond the follower is an externally threaded nut which is seated on a packing 45 to prevent the escape of high pressure air. In the nut is packing material 4G around the valve stem which is compressed by a gland 47 and nut 48.

Extending longitudinally of the casing is a fuel conveying passage or conduit 49 which communicates with a short perpendicular passage leading to the supply chamber The idle ends of these passages are closed by screw-threaded plugs 50. Fuel under high pressure is admitted to the passage by the conduit 20 from a pump or othersource of supply. This pressure is superior to the air blast pressure and the latter is superior to the compression pressure in the engine cylinder.

T he action of my improved injector is as follows: Previous to each opening of the needle valve an amount of fuel determined by the governor, or hand controlled device in some cases, is delivered by the pump to the passage 49 and supply chamber 38, and from the latter a certain amount determined by the action of the pump is forced through the capillary passage 37 into the peripheral grooves 2G. As an example the fuel thus introduced may occupy the space between the lines marked clight load, half load, full load, in each groove, or some region intermediate said lines. At this instant air under equal pressures acts on each end of the relatively small fuel bodies in the peripheral grooves. If now the fuel valve 11 is opened by the cam or other means, the high pressure air begins to ow through the passage 21 and ame plate into the combustion chamber. As soon as this takes place, air being supplied in sullicient quantity for the purpose rushes through the Venturi device and a drop in pressure takes place at the throat and at the ends of the inclined grooves 27. As a result of this the superior' air pressure in the peripheral grooves 26 back of the small fuel bodies forces each one of them forward and down through the end grooves 27 where they meet the rapidly moving air Heating through the main central orifice. The meeting of the fuel and rapidly' moving air causes the latter as it were to tear minute particles of fuel from said small bodies and carry them into the passage 2l and thence into the combustion chamber. A somewhat analogous action taken from the mechanical arts would be that of a rapidly moving file acting to cut olf small particles of the work as it moved forward.

It will be noted that the compressed air has two paths starting at the member 40, a main path through the central openings in the mixerand seat and a shunt path through the grooves in the mixer Where the fuel is started in-to motion and delivered to the more rapidly moving air of the main path where it is further and minutely divided.

I have described my invention in connection with engines arranged to automatically ignite the fuel charge as soon as it is introduced into the combustion chamber due to the high temperature of the air or gas therein but it can also be iused advantageously with engines operating with lower compression where fuel igniting devices are provided.

lirom actual tests made with my improved injector I have found that the fuel is divided very minutely thereby and that the same is effectively burned in the combustion space thereby materially increasing the efficiency of the engine.

I have referred to compressed air as being the medium for conveying the fuel into the engine but it is to be understood that other gases may be used for the purpose.

The Venturi device is shown as being formed by the seat and mixer because it simplifies the construction and reduces the number of parts but physically they need not be so formed.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, I have described the principle of operation of my invention, together with the apparatus which I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof; but I desire to have it understood that the apparatus shown is only illustrative, and that the invention can be carried out by other means.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is;-

1. In a fuel injector, the combination of a casing, an outlet therefor, a valve control- 1o conduit supplying elastic Huid under pressure to the opening and to the passages, a fuel supply chamber, a conduit delivering fuel thereto, and an annular' capillary conduit means receiving fuel from the chamber and delivering it directly to all of the passages, against the pressure therein, said means also serving to prevent the ow of fuel from the chamber by gravity.

2. In afuel injector, the combination of a v casing, an outlet therefor, a valve controlling the outlet, a mixer which surrounds the valve, is separated therefrom by a fluid carrying space and has a number of longitudinally extending fuel passages opening into said space, a fuel supply chamber, capillary conduit means which receive fuel from the chamber and deliver it in the form of small bodies to each of the passages Where it is exposed on both ends to elastic Huid pressure, the cross-sectional area of each of the passages being greater than that of kthe portion of the conduit means directly admitting fuel thereto, a conduit for supplying elastic fluid to said space and to the passages, and a Aconduit supplying fuel to the supply cham- /ber under a pressure the elastic fluld.

8. In a fuel injector, the combination of a casing, an outlet therefor, a valve controlgreater than that of -`10 ling the outlet, a mixer in the casin which has a main passage for elastic flui and a plurality of individual smaller passages in shunt relationvthereto and communicating therewith at both ends, each being arranged to receive and temporarily hold a portion of the fuel charge, a fuel supply chamber, a capillary conduit means for conveying fuel from the chamber and delivering a portion of it to said shunt passages, said conduit means being adapted to prevent the free flow of fuel into the passages, and a conduit for supplying fuel under pressure to the chamber and forcin regulated amounts therefrom through sald means.

4. In a fuel injector, the combination of a casing, an outlet therefor, a valve controlling the outlet, a-seat in the casing which surrounds the valve, a member Whlch surrounds the valve and contains passages foi" elastic Huid, a mixer that 1s held at its ends by the seat and member and is provided with numerous and independent fuel receiving passages that are open at both ends, a cut-away portion of the periphery of the member forming a fuelsupply chamber, an

annular capillaryconduit means which receive fuel from the chamber and deliver a portion of`it to each of the passages, and a conduit for supplying fuel under sufficient pressure to 'the chamber to force fuel from the chamber through said means.

5. In a fuel injector, the combination ofa casing', an outlet therefor, a seat in the casing which has a bore that diverges toward the outlet, a mixer which has a plurality of individual open ended fuel passages that communicate at one end with the smaller part of said bore, said mixer having a bore `that gradually converges toward the seat, a member that contains passages for conveying elastic Huid to the fuel passages and to said bore, and which surrounds the mixer to form the outer Walls of its fuel passages, a

valve that passes through the seat, mixer and member, and controls the outlet, a cutaway portion inthe periphery of the member forming a fuel supply chamber, the

outer Wall of which is formed by the casing, a conduit means receiving fuel fgom the chamber and delivering a portion "of it to each of said passages, and conduits for supplying elastic Huid to said passages and bores and fuel to the chamber.

6. In a fuel injector, the combination of a casing, an outlettherefor, a seat in the casing that is provided with a central orifice, a member that is provided with a central ori ce and elastic fluid conveying passages, a mixer which is 'in telescopic relation with the seat and member and is provided with individual and longitudinally extending open'ended fuel receiving grooves, a fuel supply chamber in the member Whose outer Wall is formed by the casing, capillary conduit means conveying fuel from the chamber to each of the grooves which also prevent the flow of fuel by gravity from the` chamber, a conduit supplying elastic Huid to said` orifices and to the grooves in the mixer, a conduit for supplying fuel under pressure to the chamber, and a valve that controls the passage of fluid through the outlet.

7. In a fuel injector, the combination of a i casing, an outlet therefor, a mixer which has a central orifice, longitudinal peripheral grooves and registering end grooves, a seat that has a central orifice and Walls that engage the end and peripheral projections between the rooves and form a closure therefor, a mem er that has Huid passages, a central orifice, a shoulder which engages one end of the mixer and acylindrical part that forms a closure for said peripheral grooves for a portion of their length, there being a conduit formed between the adjacent ends of the seat and member, a fuel supply chamber in communication With the conduit, a conduit supplying fuel under pressure to the chamber, and a conduit supplying elastic Huid under pressure to the passages in the member and said orifices.

8. In a fuel injector, the combination of a casing, an outlet therefor, a seat in the casing that is provided with an orifice diverging toward the outlet and walls that partially embrace the mixer, a mixer which has an orifice that converges toward the outlet, and which also has end and peripheral grooves that are partially covered by the walls of said seat, a member which acts as a guide for the valve, said member being provided with air passages, and also a shoulder that engages one end of the mixer, and also with an annular wall that forms a closure for the grooves for a portion of their length, there being a capillary passage between the adjacent ends-of the annular walls i of the Seat and member, a fuel chamber formed between the casing and member that communicates with the capillary passage, a conduit conveying fuel to the chamber under a pressure suiiicient to force it through the passage, a conduit for conveying air to the orifices and to air and fuel passages under a pressure greater than the compression pressure of the enginea follower engaging the member, a valve that passes through the follower, member, mixer and seat and engages a seat on the casing.

9. In a fuel injector, the combination of a casing, an outlet therefor, a seat in the casing which has a central bore, a beveled shoulder, and a cylindrical portion, a cylindrical mixer arranged in telescopic relation with respect to said cylindrical portion and which engages said beveled shoulder at one end, said mixer having peripheral and end projections with fuel receiving grooves between, a member which holds the mixer j against the shoulder and also incloses one end thereof and forms an outer wall of said grooves, there being a capillary passage means Lim/,S15

between one end of the seat and the member through which fuel from the supply chamber enters the individual rooves, said passage means being located etween the ends of the longitudinal grooves, 4a suppl)T chamber which communicates with the capillary passage means, the latter acting to prevent the flow of fuel by gravity from the chamber, means supplying fuel to the chamber, a valve which passes through the seat, mixer, and member, and controls the passage of fuel from the casing, and a conduit admitting compressed air to the casing to force fuel through the grooves and through the central bore in the seat.

10. In a fuel injector, the combination of a casing, an outlet therefor, a seat in the casing having a central bore, an annular member also located in the casing which has through passages for compressed air, the adjacent ends of the seat and member defining a capillary fuel passage, a cut-away portion in the member which forms two walls of a fuel supply chamber, the remaining walls being formed by the seat and the casing, a cylindrical mixer which is located between the seat and member and is inclosed thereby, said member having longitudinal peripheral grooves and also end grooves opening into said bore, said longitudinal grooves receiv ing fuel from the supply chamber through the capillary passage, a valve controlling the outlet, a conduit in the casing supplying fuel under pressure to the chamber, and a conduit supplying compressed air to said bore and grooves to force fuel through the outlet.

i In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 4th day of August, 1913.V

BENJAMIN B. HULL, HELEN ORFoRD.

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 1,157,315,` granted October 19, 19715, upon the appiioaton of Hermann Lemp, of Erie,y Pennsylvania, for an imprevement in Fuel-Injectors, an error appears in the printed specification requiring correction as follows: Page 4, line 75, for the word Heating read flowing; and

that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the saine may conform to the record of the ease in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 9th day oi] November, A. D., 1915.

[SEAL] J. T. NEWTON,

`Act'iuq Commissioner of Patents. 

